Percy Jackson: Persuit of the Unknown
by PerfectlyPlasticPinkFlamingos
Summary: What would have happened if Sally Jackson had fallen for a different God?
1. Chapter 1

_Hey this is our first fanfic __Hope you enjoy it! We Percy!_

Prologue

Ever since Percy Jackson had arrived at Camp Half Blood his life has kept getting better. Even though at first he didn't fit, in he was finally making friends and learning new skills such as swordplay and metalwork. He was having a great time except for one problem, he hadn't been claimed yet. Even though he had great friends, Percy always felt a sense of loneliness inside him. His undetermined parent had become a void in his heart that was yearning to be filled.

Chapter 1

Beads of sweat trickled down Percy's face as he cunningly thrust his sword towards his opponent, the unbeatable Annabeth Chase. Percy had always seemed surprisingly gifted at swordplay, but everyone was astonished at Percy's skill against Annabeth. Every move she had made so far, Percy had managed to counter. She jabbed, he ducked; she swung low, he jumped and turned, attacking from behind. Although they had both become exhausted, everyone could still see the determination in their eyes. Annabeth dogged an uppercut and countered by slamming the hilt of her sword into Percy's chest. Percy, caught by surprise, fell to the ground, gasping for air. As a smirk crept across Annabeth's face, Percy became filled with rage. He took a deep breath and stood up, his sword at the ready. Percy began to attack at quick pace. As he began closing in on Annabeth, he could see her determination and intensity quickly diminish as she stared into his fierce, black eyes. Her eyes lost their triumphant flame and Percy noticed a subtle tremor pass through her. One last swing of his sword and Percy managed to knock her helmet clean off her head and she fell to the ground.

The small group watching fell silent, their mouths open in surprise. Even Percy was astounded by his bold move. At first, Annabeth became angry, but then her face softened and she said,

"You got talent, new kid."

Percy smiled and held out his hand to help her up, "The name's Percy."

_Sorry this is short, we will update soon. Read and review please!_


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Percy tried to ignore all of the whispers that seemed to be following him as he made his way toward the pavilion. As Percy sat down at the Hermes table, he even noticed his cabin mates eyes linger on his face. Percy began to feel uncomfortable when he heard a voice behind him,

"Hey Jackson, I heard the big news."

"Hey Luke," Percy said with indifference.

"Hey kid, what's got ya down?" Luke replied taking a seat next to him.

"What happened today _was _pretty cool, but I don't see what the big deal is."

"Oh…well there's this rumor going around that you _did_ something to Annabeth…"

"…"

"Annabeth is a strong fighter with a lot of stamina; it's not like her to lose her intensity so quickly."

"Are you saying that was _my _fault?" Percy countered, unable to conceal his annoyance.

"No Percy! We aren't blaming youfor anything. It's just what we saw…"

Percy turned around as Chiron began the announcements. Throughout dinner, he tried to forget the conversation, but it lingered in his mind and gave him an unsettling feeling.

Percy decided to leave dinner early, not being able to stand the constant whispers and glances that were obviously directed toward him. As Percy walked back to the Hermes cabin, where he had been placed while waiting to be claimed, he began to question himself.

_ I couldn't have done anything…but everyone saw it happen...it must have been something else…besides, why would I do anything to her? She's been nothing but nice to me…_

Percy began to wonder:

_ Come to think of it, I didn't see Annabeth at dinner… I wonder if she's ok…_

As Percy passed by the Athena cabin, he knocked on the door to see if Annabeth was there.

"Who is it?" asked a familiar but muffled voice.

_Oh geez, she must think I'm a stalker…_

"Um… it's Percy…Percy Jackson…oh I mean…er…is it ok if I come in…?

"…sure"

Percy thought for a second, and then opened the door to find Annabeth lying on her bunk with a pillow on her face. After a few seconds of standing awkwardly in the doorway, Percy closed the door and walked to a chair placed near the bed.

"Um…I didn't see you at dinner…so I was wondering…um…if you were alright…"

Annabeth didn't speak at first but then took the pillow of her face and said,

"I don't know. Ever since this afternoon I've been feeling really exhausted."

"Not because of what happened during our fight…right?"

"I'm sure that's not it, I probably just need a little rest."

"Well then, is there anything I can do to help?"

"Well I am kind of hungry. I would get the food myself but when I stand up I…well I get dizzy."

"Ok sure!" Percy replied with a little too much enthusiasm.

_ "Wow… that was kind of embarrassing," _said Percy as he practically fell out of the cabin and walked back to the pavilion. He put some mashed potatoes and grilled chicken on a plate and grabbed a glass of water.

When he got back to the Athena cabin, he gave a quick knock on the door.

"Come in."

Percy walked into the cabin and handed the loaded plate to Annabeth.

"Thanks so much, Percy," she said looking hungrily and the plate.

"Don't mention it," Percy said as he reached for the door handle.

"You can stay. I mean if you don't want to go to the bonfire."

"Umm… Sure, yeah, I'll stay. Feeling any better?"

"I'm feeling ok, just really tired I guess. It was so strange…I've never felt like that before. And it was so sudden. I felt as if all of my energy was drained in a split second. It was unbelievable. Even Chiron didn't know what had happened. Ambrosia and nectar didn't help even one bit! "

One look at her limp form and Percy felt badly for her. She looked as if she was fighting to keep her eyes open, even though she had been in her bed for hours. Her eyes kept fluttering, wanting to close, but she would catch them and strain to keep them open. Although he had just met her, he couldn't stand seeing her like this and hoped she would get better.

He looked into her warm, grey eyes and said, "I'm so sorry you feel like this. I hope you get better soon."

A gleam came to her eyes that could only be described as shock and relief. Annabeth looked down at her food with curiosity.

"Go ahead and eat. I tried to get the food that wasn't mangled from the kids at dinner…"

As Annabeth began to eat the room fell silent.

"I was wondering if I could ask you something," Percy said quietly, looking down at his hands.

Annabeth looked up from her food momentarily with a cautious but curious expression on her face, but then quickly returned to her food.

"Sure."

"…Well I was wondering…before you knew you were Athena's daughter, did you ever feel alone…even empty?"

Silence.

Annabeth sighed and looked up from her meal as if trying to recall a distant memory.

"Yes. At one point I did feel that way…I was often alone and was worried that I might never be claimed by one of the gods…but I should have never worried because I made many close friends that I could count on."

She paused for a moment, then returned her gaze to Percy and said, sympathetically,

"I'm sorry you feel that way Percy," then with a smile on her face, "I hope you don't feel so alone now that you have friends in the same situation."

Percy looked up and smiled at her, thankful that she considered him a friend.

They caught each other's gaze for a moment, then Annabeth returned to her food saying,

"Now that I'm getting better, I thought it might be a good idea to have a rematch."

Percy noticed a mischievous gleam in her eye but ignored it and replied,

"Sure sounds good to me, how about this Friday at 2:00."

"Great. See ya then, Percy, but for now you better get to sleep."

"Night." Percy replied, heading for the door.

"Oh, and Percy."

Percy turned to face Annabeth finding a look of please and gratitude on her face. He became lost in her eyes for a moment but then heard,

"Thanks. For everything."

Percy smiled and gave her a quick nod before stepping out into the darkness and returning to his cabin. As Percy walked silently to his cabin, he felt different. He felt warmer, and happier, he didn't feel alone.


	3. Chapter 3

**Everything recognizable belongs to the genius Rick Riordan.**

Chapter 3

The days leading up to the re-match on Friday were some of the best days Percy had had at camp. He spent most of his time with Annabeth and two of her friends, Thalia, and Grover. Although he still hadn't been claimed and was beginning to doubt that he would ever truly know who he was.

The morning of the re-match, Percy woke before the sun had risen. He tried to fall back to sleep, but found the task to be impossible. Percy slid out of bed, waiting for his eyes to adjust to the dark. He squinted and moved his eyes over each camper's face, trying to determine if anyone else was awake. When he found no one awake, he crept out of the room and walked across the camp to sit next to the large pine tree that marked the border of Camp Half-Blood. He sat down, leaning against the back of the tree. The tree was the reason for the safety of the camp. It was the reason Annabeth was alive.

When Annabeth, Thalia, and Luke were younger, they were sent on a quest from which Thalia did not make it back. She stayed behind to fight off monsters that had chased them, so the others could make it back to safety. Right before she died, her father, Zeus, turned her into a pine tree. This tree set a powerful border which monsters and mortals could not pass. Several years later, when the Golden Fleece, a magical artifact with healing properties, was used to revive the dying tree, it brought Thalia back to life.

Percy looked over his shoulder at the horizon. The sun had begun to ascend, casting its reflection over the length of the vast ocean. Percy closed his eyes as the warm rays caressed his face. This was the one place where he could think clearly. He began contemplating his life at Camp Half Blood and if it was his best option. He imagined himself back at home with his mom. How she would often tell him,

"Percy, some day, your world will all make sense, but no matter what happens, I will always love you." Then Percy would look up into her soft blue eyes and hope that she was right.

Percy awoke with a start when he heard a low growl from behind a nearby pine. He stood up quickly and began backing away from the sound, back towards the main cabin, keeping his sword at the ready. He had only taken a few steps when an angry fury jumped from the treetop and landed right in front of Percy. Percy was quick on his feet and attacked with swift jabs and cuts with his sword. He held the Fury back for a while, but began to tire quickly. The Fury continued to attack relentlessly, slashing out at him any time he let his guard down.

When Percy glared into the Fury's cold, unforgiving eyes, the Fury faltered, giving Percy a small chance to counter the attack. He slashed his blade at the Fury's face, creating a deep gash along its jaw. The Fury threw its head back in rage, and swung its arm at Percy, pushing his shoulder hard enough to spin him slightly. She slashed her jagged claws at him before he had a chance to retaliate, striking the back of his shoulder with a great amount of force. Percy fell to into the tree and to the ground, his vision blurred and distorted from a blow to his head. His mind, reeling in pain, only allowed him the chance to see a girl's form running toward him. Before he had the chance to verify who it was, his vision went black, sending him into unconsciousness.

Thalia stood in shock, stunned by the scene that unfolded before her. _How could a Fury pass though the border? No monster had ever been able to pass though it! _

When the severity of the situation finally registered, she shook off her curiosity and sprinted in the direction of Percy, picking up the sword that was lying by her cabin. As she ran full speed to assist Percy, she was forced to watch in chilling dread as he was slammed to the earth with tremendous strength. She willed her strained legs to push harder, in fear she wouldn't be fast enough. As the Fury spread its large, leathery wings to glide the short distance to Percy, Thalia let her instinct take over, launching the sword toward the Fury like a spear.

The next second felt like it had been slowed down. Thalia watched as the sword was propelled by a hidden strength, hitting its target perfectly. The sword buried itself into the Furies chest, all the way to the hilt. The Fury burst into millions of tiny particles and through the dust, Thalia saw the shimmer of metal falling through the air.

She ran over to Percy to assess the damage, wincing when she saw what had happened. He had three deep cuts, which she assumed were from the claws of the Fury, which ran from the back of his left shoulder, diagonally across his back. She put her hand up to his mouth, calmed slightly by the sensation of his breath against the palm of her hand.

Thalia splashed some water into the air and threw a Drachma into the mist. She let out a sigh of relief when Chiron answered her Iris message.

"Chiron! Thank the Gods you're close," Thalia yelled as soon as she saw that Chiron was near the beach on the opposite side of camp. "I need your help! A fury managed to cross the border… I don't know what to do! Percy…he was fighting… I ran to help but it was too late… he was knocked unconscious and wounded! Please come as fast as you can!" Thalia said forcefully.

Chiron looked just as shocked as Thalia felt but forced his voice to remain calm as he simply stated, "I'll be there as soon as I can."

As Thalia sent an Iris message to Annabeth, she thanked the Gods that Chiron was a centaur. Being half horse definitely had advantages when it came to speed.

At first Annabeth smiled at the unexpected message. "Hi Thal-," Annabeth's smile vanished when she saw the pained expression on her friends face. "What's wrong?"

"Just meet me in the infirmary in five minutes!" Thalia rushed, and before Annabeth had the chance to question her, the message dissolved, taking the image of her friend with it.

In her panicking state, Thalia had forgotten about the gleam she had detected through the dust. She looked around the area where the Fury had once stood. Lying there was a silver ring, covered with engravings and set with a large black stone. Thalia picked up the ring and rolled it around her hand, examining it. While staring into the black stone, Thalia heard the muted thunder of hooves hitting the soft earth.

Annabeth, alarmed by Thalia's urgent message, ran out of her cabin without a second thought. She sprinted around to the back of the Big House to the infirmary, throwing the door open almost exactly five minute after she had received Thalia's call.

When Annabeth saw Percy lying in the infirmary, unconscious, words escaped her. Thalia and Chiron, talking in hushed voices at the edge of the room, went un-noticed. _How could this have happened? Percy had been inside the boundaries of camp, right? _She walked slowly over to his bedside, as if the slightest movement would harm him. Annabeth sat down in a chair next to the bed and took his hand in her own. A silent tear pushed its way through the grasp she had on her emotions and ran down her face when she saw the bandages that covered most of his back. She bowed her head down and closed her eyes, holding her forehead to the back of his hand; thanking the Gods it wasn't worse.

She would not have been affected so greatly had it been only a week prior. The way Percy had helped her while she was lying in bed sick and exhausted had meant a lot to her. She was especially grateful since he had spoken to her for the first time that very morning and still had cared enough to help her.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a small voice behind her.

"Annabeth?"

"What happened?" Annabeth whispered in a barely audible tone.

"A fury had crossed the border. I ran to help him, but I was too late."

Thalia ran though the course of events, watching as Annabeth listened, hurt and confused. When the initial shock had passed, a fierce expression came over her face.

"Well then, if we don't know how this all happened, we are going to have to find out! You checked the borders? You are absolutely sure they weren't taken down?" Annabeth questioned forcefully.

"Yes, of course. Chiron checked the borders before bringing Percy here. They remained intact, so we don't know how this happened. We have a few Ares kids standing guard at the tree as we speak. They'll sound an alarm if they notice anything suspicious on the other side," Thalia mentioned, afraid she would protect the tree alone if no one was there already.

Thalia left, an undeniable feeling of guilt filling her. She couldn't help but blame herself for Percy's current state of health, and Annabeth's had told Thalia that he would be fine in the end, but would have to endure a long recovery.

In the Infirmary, Chiron walked over to Annabeth to tell her what would come of this.

"Annabeth?"

Annabeth looked up at him and replied, "Will he be okay? How long will he be unconscious?"

"He will recover, but he might be out for two or three days."

"Days? That's… what? The Fury struck his _back_! How could that knock him out for that long?" Annabeth demanded.

"When the fury struck him, he was thrown at the tree, then Thalia came to his rescue and destroyed the fury."

Annabeth kept her gaze on Percy, saying nothing.

"Don't worry about it, he'll be fine. You should get some rest."

Annabeth sighed and replied, "I suppose you're right…"

Annabeth walked out the door of the infirmary to meet Thalia who was waiting for her outside the door. She stepped forward to speak, but Annabeth only looked at the ground, closed her eyes and put her fingers to her temple, hoping the pain of the headache she'd gotten would lessen.

"Listen Annabeth…I'm really sorry! I went to help him as quickly as I could. I just wasn't fast enough. There wasn't anything I could do… please don't be upset, I'm sorry." Thalia pleaded.

"I don't blame you; you did everything in your power to help. It's not your fault," Annabeth reassured her, "I'm just a little tired and need to go lay down. I'll see you later, okay?"

"Okay, I really am sorry though," said Thalia, not able to obscure her feeling of guilt.

Annabeth didn't speak but only threw a sad smile in Thalia's direction and walked slowly over to the Athena cabin.

Thalia reached her hand in her pocket, suddenly remembering the ring she had found. She pulled it out and examined the symbols that were foreign to her. She looked at the black stone that was set perfectly on the ring. Its diamond shape gave it a very harsh appearance. She once again pocketed the ring and decided to pass the ring on to Percy when he woke.

The next two days went by slower than ever. Annabeth was withdrawn and barely spoke. Thalia was going to speak to Annabeth about the ring but quickly decided against it. Thalia could hear her already: _Thalia! You need to give me the ring! After all, if anyone could figure out what it means, it would be me, Daughter of Athena, the Goddess of Wisdom! Come on! _Thalia thought it best to give the ring to Percy first, seeing as it belonged to the monster who could have taken his life.

To take her mind of things, Thalia worked on her swordplay. Every day after dinner she would go down to the arena and battle the straw dummy until her mind cleared. One night, she had just finished slicing the straw dummy to bits when she heard a small cough from behind her.

"Hey Grover, what brings you down here?"

Grover scowled at this comment but tried to ignore Thalia's frequent severity.

"Well I wasn't in the mood to go to the bonfire tonight. How are you, anyway? I heard about Percy. I know this is hard for you but Chiron said he would recover right?"

"Yeah, I'm probably just overreacting but I just can't shake the feeling that Percy is still in serious danger…"

Thalia thought of the burning sensation in her pocket where she kept the black stone ring and knew she had to warn Percy as soon as possible.

"Anyway, thanks for caring Grover, you're a great friend. I better go and visit Percy and see how he's doing. See ya!"

Grover waved as Thalia disappeared through the bleachers and headed towards the infirmiry.

As Thalia neared the infirmary, the burning sensation strengthened, and Thalia broke into a run. When she reached the infirmary she burst through the door and found Percy still sleeping calmly in his bed. Thalia walked to his bedside and took the ring out of her pocket, which now felt as if it would burn a whole through her pants. She then placed the ring on Percy's finger and watched as it began to glow on his finger as if it were a star taken directly from the sky that now sparkled above them. Thalia watched in awe as the glow then dimmed and the heat subsided. Thalia knew this was the right thing to do but knew that Annabeth would not agree so she checked to make sure no one was in the room then gently slid Percy's hand under the covers where it would hopefully stay hidden.

Meanwhile, the darkness of Percy's mind began to swirl with color. He felt his soul travel from his body and through an empty void that filled his subconscious. He began to panic but eventually surrendered to the calm darkness.

In his mind's eye, Percy finally passed though the void and found himself in a dimly lit world filled with old black buildings and people that seemed to float on air. He walked among them, down what seemed to be the main street. Thousands of people went by him, each turning into one of the thousands of buildings that made up this strange world. He followed a woman into one of the biggest structures and continued after her to the end of a long hallway. He tapped her on the shoulder to get her attention. Before she turned, Percy questioned her.

"Excuse me, how do I get out of this place?"

To his horror, he found himself staring into the gaunt face of his mother. She stared at him and replied, "You don't," in a harsh, raspy voice that he barely recognized.

Percy turned away from the ghastly sight and ran toward the doors. He threw them open and sprinted from the building and into a large courtyard. Stone steps welcomed him to walk up to grand steel doors that extended up toward the dark sky. They swung open as his hand approached and he entered the mansion. He took an immediate right into a room filled with a long, metal, dining table, and two chairs; one on either side. As Percy entered the room, he began to hear hushed voices coming from the other side of a door, standing against the opposite wall. He pressed his ear against the cold metal door and listened.

"… but someone at that camp has it! We could be watched at any time and our plan would be foiled! All could be lost! I shouldn't have sent the Fury, I should have marched up there _myself_ and taken care of the mess! Even _that_ would have been more discreet!" a deep voice whispered harshly"

"Just calm down! We'll take care of him! It's just a matter of time!" a woman said, barely controlling her temper.

Just then, an invisible force pulled Percy from the room, throwing him out of the open doors, across the city, and back into the empty void.

As Annabeth made her way to the infirmary she passed Thalia and gave her a small, sad nod. Thalia kept her eyes lowered and a small trace of guilt crossed her face but she quickly dismissed it. Annabeth continued through the door and took her usual spot in the chair next to Percy's bed. Annabeth smiled as she gazed down at his calm face and she became calm as well, glad to have him as her friend. Annabeth sat there silently for a few minutes until she felt an odd stillness encompass the room. Annabeth could not put her finger on it, but she knew something was amiss. She returned her gaze to Percy and looked down at his still body. Annabeth shrieked and collapsed in a fit of sobs on the edge of Percy's bed. Thalia ran into the room.

"What's wrong? What happened?" Thalia demanded.

Her friend was to shaken to speak. She had her face buried in the bed. Annabeth continued to sob uncontrollably, her hand resting on Percy's shoulder.

"Annabeth, it's okay! Just tell me what's wrong!" Thalia cried, her voice filled with panic.

Annabeth lifted her tear-stained face from the bed and whispered two words Thalia never thought possible.

"He's dead."

**Please, please review! Will update again once we get 12 total reviews! only four reviews! not that difficult...**


	4. Chapter 4

**Everything recognizable belongs to Rick Riordan. Some ideas also based on Alice Sebold's ideas. **

Chapter 4

Annabeth was too stunned to get help and only continued to cry. The nurse quickly gave Percy ambrosia nectar, just in case his heart had only just stopped but when nothing helped, it was determined that his soul had already left his body. Thalia, shocked and disbelieving, left the room in a daze to inform Chiron of the lifeless state of Percy Jackson. The door slammed as Thalia exited, leaving the room completely silent. Annabeth sat up and made an effort to wipe the tears from her face, to no avail. It was at this moment that she noticed that the sheets over Percy's hand were not lying as flat as they should be.

Annabeth peeled back the covers that were obscuring his hand from view. She looked at the silver ring confusedly, surprised that she had not noticed it when he was first injured. The black stone glinted in the sunlight that was now streaming into the room. She noted the symbols that ran around the circumference, but only recognized a single one. A helm.

"Hades!" she whispered to herself.

Annabeth gazed at the object in awe. She knew that such an object could hold an unbelievable amount of power._ How did Percy find such a thing?_

Annabeth heard the door creak open and looked over at Thalia, who was staring at the ring in shock.

"Chiron is coming as fast as he possibly can but won't be here for fifteen minutes," she said solemnly.

"What's this?" Annabeth questioned, completely disregarding her comment.

Thalia looked into Annabeth's sad, grey eyes, wondering where to start.

"Annabeth… I'm sorry. I found the ring next to Percy after the Fury was taken care of."

"And you didn't tell me about it? Don't you think that it's maybe, you know, _important _that you tell me about such athing_?" _Annabeth retorted_._

"I'm sorry! I thought it best that Percy should be told about it first."

"Oh, okay! So you decided to go ahead and put it on him? Did you realize what something like that could do? Did you care to look at the engravings?"

Thalia looked up at Annabeth with remorse. She was guilty for putting the ring on Percy in the first place, but at that time, she was unaware that anything like this would happen.

"I did but…

"You ignored them? This ring could be the reason he's dead…"

Thalia knew Annabeth was right. The ring could have been the reason for his death, but she had no solid proof. It could have been due to his injuries. Annabeth had no right to come to such sudden conclusions and blame her for Percy's death. Thalia didn't blame her though. Annabeth had grown quite close to Percy in the few weeks they had been friends.

Thalia tried to calm her friend down but she was having none of it. Annabeth was convinced of the fact that Percy would have survived if it hadn't been for the ring. Finally, Annabeth, tired of arguing, sat down next to the bed and pressed her fingers to Percy's wrist, in denial that there was no pulse when they had checked ten minutes ago. Against what she had hoped, there was still nothing. Only utter stillness.

Annabeth pulled her hand away from him and looked at Thalia, looking remorseful for what she had just said. There was nothing more she could do. It was over. They were both too busy staring into space and silently comforting each other to notice the faint white glow of the ring through the sunlight.

Percy's soul was being ripped from the Underworld and brought instead to the empty void that stood between the real world and the Underworld. As he was pulled across the divide, the sky was ridded of any source of light. He stopped and stared into the black oblivion, confused as to why he was brought here. As he watched, he saw thousands of little globes of light begin to glow weakly. He looked closer and he saw the globes increase in size and take human form. Souls.

He drifted amongst them; taking note that each of them seemed to be fighting against a force that was drawing them down, trying to pull them from the emptiness. Each had a near invisible strand of light that was connected to their chest; where their heart would have been if they were alive. The light was projected from them and seemed to be acting as a life line, for each beam of wavering light was ended with a knot, securing the soul to the darkness. Some of them had fierce expressions and were holding on to the line of light, their eyes closed with determination, the knot at the end of their line secured tightly.

However, most of the souls' legs and arms were being pulled back against the thread of light, their heads thrown back in exhaustion. Their eyes were closed tightly, as if they were trying to concentrate and the chest were thrust forward, still attached to the light. The only fixation that kept them attached to the light was desire. The burning desire to be alive. The sensation filled the hearts of the determined and glowed with intensity. The light coming from the hearts of the exhausted slowly would diminish until the light was gone, and the line snapped, flinging them done towards their inevitable fate.

Percy watched in silent horror as soul after soul was propelled down to the crumbling city below. The now familiar energy filled him and he was yanked out of the void, leaving the helpless souls behind. Percy landed with a jolt, exerting absolutely no force on his surroundings. He gasped, and air rushed inside him, sending a shutter though his body.

Annabeth whipped around in her chair when she heard a small gasp. She looked at Percy, but he hadn't moved an inch.

"Oh geez… now I'm hearing things…" Annabeth thought.

Thalia tapped her shoulder and said, "I'm going to leave now, okay? I don't think I can stand being here any longer."

"Yeah. All right. I'll wait for Chiron," Annabeth responded quietly.

Thalia gave her one last comforting look before exiting the room.

Annabeth ran to the window and looked out at her friend walking down the steps and over to her cabin.

"Thalia!" said Annabeth, getting her attention. "Will you eat dinner in the cabin with me? I'm not in the mood to go to the pavilion." She continued, her voice cracking when she thought of Percy.

"Of course I will, I'll meet you there," Thalia replied, a small reassuring smile on her lips.

Thalia turned her back to Annabeth but she continued to stare blankly out the window. A small creak behind her had her spinning around to scan the rest of the room. Her eyes rested on a sight that had her rooted to the spot in utter bewilderment. Percy was sitting up in bed, looking just as confused as she was.

"Impossible…"Annabeth muttered

"What am I do-"Percy was interrupted as Annabeth ran jumped onto the bed and threw her arms around his neck. She pushed her face against him and began to cry with joy. Percy, too perplexed to speak, put his arms around her and comforted her for her unidentified sorrow.

"Annabeth? What's wrong? What happened?" he asked her, not entirely expecting an answer.

"Oh my Gods! Don't ever do that to me again! You have no idea how worried I was! You have been out cold for days. You were dead for ten minutes… How did you come back?" she asked before looking into his eyes and pressing her lips against his cheek. She laid her head back on his shoulder as he answered.

"What do you mean?" he asked, confused by both the fact that she informed him that he had just died and the fact that Annabeth Chase had just kissed him (not that he wasn't happy about it or anything!).

She loosened her hold and looked into his eyes. "What do you mean, what do _I_ mean? You were _dead_! You didn't have a pulse! I was sobbing half to death! You _died! …You died…_" Her voice wavered as she thought back to the worst moment of her life and a few tears escaped her grasp on emotion.

She took one arm from around his neck to wipe her tears away. She had finally stopped sobbing, but was allowing tears to silently make their way down he face. She sighed, clearly letting Percy know that it was his turn to speak. Annabeth wrapped her arms around his torso and set her ear against his chest. She realized that she had been hyperventilating when her breathing suddenly slowed as she calmed down, reassured by the sound of his heart.

"I'm fine. I just had a dream, how could I have been dead? If I was dead, how am I alive right now?" Percy reassured her.

She giggled half-heartedly and joked, "Fine you were alive; you just didn't have a pulse! No big deal, right? I'm just glad you're back!"

They sat silently for a few minutes, not knowing what to say. Annabeth finally broke the silence.

"Well, we can sort out what the heck happened when Chiron gets back. For now, I better let Thalia know you're not dead. I'm sure she'll be pleased!"

"Can I come?"Percy asked.

"I hope you're kidding!"Annabeth responded, lifting her head from his chest and checking his face for sincerity.

"No. I'm not."

"Do you realize what will happen? She will _flip_! She'll think it was all a prank!"Annabeth said sternly.

"I know! It'll be great! She'll be so mad!"Percy exclaimed without a bit of sarcasm.

"So you are saying that you are planning to scare the girl who you owe your _life _to, half to death? You are begging to be knocked out again!"

"But that's why you love me! What else am I suppose to do? I wouldn't be Percy Jackson if I wasn't so excitingly spontaneous!" said Percy, grinning like a complete freak.

"I'm sure the word you are looking for is idiotic." Annabeth laughed.

"Never mind that, let's go!" Percy said enthusiastically.

Annabeth glared at Percy for a few moments, then surrendered with a sigh and said,

"Fine. But when she flips it won't be my fault. The blame will be on you! ...and you will admit to it? …and tell her I was against it but you made me go?"

"Yes, yes, yes! Now come on!" said Percy, a hint of inpatients in his voice.

"You swear?"

"Yes! Geez Annabeth! You know, for a wise girl, you ask a ton of questions!"

Annabeth overlooked this comment and reluctantly allowed Percy to take her hand and he led her out of the infirmary, and over to the Zeus cabin.

"Percy! No, I changed my mind!" said Annabeth when they were only twenty feet from the cabin.

Annabeth was dragging her feet and doing her best to stop herself from having to go give Thalia a heart attack.

"Annabeth. Come on, she'll be fine… now stop struggling or I'll be forced to carry you."

"Ughhh, you upset me sometimes, you know that?"

"Of course I do. Now that I think about it, you _did_ seem quite upset when you _kissed _me."

"Okay. Listen to me for two seconds. You died! Do you not understand me? Dead! Gone. Forever… Or so I thought, until you accomplished the impossible feat of coming back to life after your _soul_ was taken from your body! What else would you expect me to do? Shake your hand? 'Oh, hey Perce… welcome back.' Yeah right! I missed you more than I've ever missed anything. Even if it was only ten minutes, it was the most torturous ten minutes of my _entire_ life"

"Whatever you say," Percy laughed as Annabeth rolled her eyes and frowned. His laughter quickly subsided and he added, "Look, I'm really sorry you had to go through that. I really am. I shouldn't have joked about it like that."

"Nice save…" Annabeth responded after giving him her famous suspenseful ten-second silent treatment. "How about compromising? I'll go into her cabin, _alone_, and tell her that I want to surprise her because I feel bad for blaming her for your death. Then-"

"Wait a sec! You blamed her? She's your best friend!"

"I'll explain later, now go back to my cabin and wait there for me I'll be there in a minute."

"What! Where do I come into the plan?"

"Dinner. You will go up to her right before dinner, happy?

"Yes, I am."

"I'm _so_ glad." Annabeth commented, her voice filled with sarcasm.

"See ya in a bit! Thanks for everything, Wise Girl."

Before Annabeth could stop him, Percy took her hand and leaned in to touch his lips gently to hers, leaving without another word. Annabeth stared back at him and brushed the tips of her fingers across her lips, where his had just been the moment before. Slightly dazed, Annabeth walked up the steps to Thalia's cabin and knocked on the door.

Being the only one of Zeus' kids, Thalia opened the door and led Annabeth into the cabin that she had all to herself. It had a single bed at the side of the room and the rest was filled with Thalia's possessions.

"Thalia?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm really sorry about today. For blaming you and all. I didn't mean it. I'm just not in my right mind right now," Annabeth explained, forcing a fake tear to fall to her cheek which was difficult given that a minute prior, she had been kissed by the very boy she thought had died.

Annabeth paused and closed her eyes for a moment, pretending to be getting a hold on her emotions, and then continued.

"I thought I would make it up to you. I have a surprise for you that I'll show you right before dinner, okay? I need to give you time to brace yourself…"

"Okay…? Should I be scared? I can't tell if you're being serious or not," Thalia stated.

"Of course I'm serious! Do you think I'd joke at a time like this?" Annabeth countered, doing her best to look hurt.

"Okay then, I'll meet you here before dinner."

"Okay, I'll see you then. I know I just said so, but I really am sorry…" Annabeth repeated.

"I'm sorry too; I shouldn't have kept anything from you."

"That's all right. I'll see you later!"

Annabeth gave Thalia a quick supportive hug before turning to leave. She prolonged the walk over to the Athena cabin as much as possible. She didn't know what to do, for she was oblivious as to how she felt about Percy. Of course she loved him as a friend but wasn't sure if it would ruin their friendship if they broke up as boyfriend and girlfriend. As she neared the porch to the cabin, she decided that she would follow her heart and do whatever it told her. This was Annabeth's way of denying the fact that she, a daughter of Athena, Goddess of Wisdom, was about to 'wing it'.

Annabeth walked up to where Percy was sitting at the top step and sat down to his left without as much as a single word. Unfortunately, Annabeth's silent treatment backfired for Percy knew that game too. She glanced over at him and noticed a small smile fighting its way to his face.

Annabeth gave up with a sigh, there was no beating him. "So…"

"So… how'd it go?" Percy asked.

"Thalia will meet us in front of her cabin right before dinner. In about ten minutes"

"Great." Percy replied with a mischievous grin.

Annabeth scowled at him but said nothing.

"So about that rematch…"

Annabeth stared at Percy with shock and disbelief when she realized he was completely serious.

"No way! You were just mauled by a beast from the underworld! You are heavily wounded and were knocked out for 3 days! Not to mention you died!" Annabeth practically yelled in frustration.

"You are just scared to be beaten by a cripple." Percy replied with a smug grin.

"No! It's just that…well…I-I…I'm worried about your safety."

"Geez Annabeth, you sound like my mom."

Neither spoke for a minute, only stared at each other in silence.

"Come on Perce! I don't want anything bad to happen to you! Please… I know you're stubborn and all and I know I have a very slim chance of convincing you, but can't you just rest for a couple more days? For me? If there is another attack, I want you to be fully healed and rested!"

Percy heard the sincerity in her voice and looked over at her. Her eyes somehow held a persuasive gleam, and Percy suddenly found that he couldn't say no to her. She had been through so much and couldn't stand any more worry.

"Fine… I'll rest. Just don't worry so much, I can't stand it."

"Thank you," Annabeth whispered, laying her head on his shoulder.

Percy put his arm around her shoulders and a small smile crept to his face.

Annabeth lifted her head and looked into his eyes.

"Percy…?"Annabeth whispered as her eyes darted to his lips, then back to his eyes.

Percy got the hint and closed the distance between them. Annabeth closed her eyes as he kissed her and moved her hand up to his shoulder, kissing him back. When they parted, Annabeth smiled keeping her gaze locked on Percy's eyes

"I can't _believe_ I just fell for my best friend…"

"I can," Percy countered with a smile, "seeing how fast I _became_ your 'best friend'."

Percy tightened his arm around her shoulders and Annabeth shifted to be closer to him, laying her head back on his shoulder. As they sat there, Annabeth suddenly realized that the nervous knot she had had in her stomach was gone. Relieved that she would finally be able to get a decent night's sleep, she closed her weary eyes and yawned, recognizing how tired she really was.

"Well," Percy said after he kissed the top of her head, "We'd better go over to give Thalia her 'surprise'!"

Annabeth moaned as they both got up from the step.

"Ok let's just get this over with... and don't think that I approve of this anymore than I did fifteen minutes ago! Because I honestly don't," Annabeth added quickly.

Percy flashed a smile in her direction and took her hand. Together they walked over to the place where Thalia was waiting and Annabeth prayed that she wouldn't overreact at what would most likely be the biggest surprise of her life.

**Thank you so much for reading! Please let us know what you thought and give us suggestions on how to improve in the form of a review!**

**P.S… Remember that reviews equal updates! :)**


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Surprising Thalia went exactly how Annabeth had warned Percy it would. Annabeth had stopped him from knocking on her door when his hand was only a couple inches from the door. Percy looked at her and attempted not to sound too annoyed.

"What?"

"I think I should go alone first, you can come up to her at dinner. That way the entire camp will be there. I can almost guarantee that she'll beat you up if we are by ourselves… she'll think we were pranking her about your death. You have to go talk to Chiron anyways! He wasn't positive that you were actually dead, so he won't be that surprised." Annabeth held onto his hands while she spoke, just in case he tried to knock on the door anyways.

"He can wait! He doesn't need a confirmation on whether I'm alive or not! He'll see me at dinner." Percy reasoned.

Annabeth glared at him and responded, "You really need to set your priorities straight! _Geez_ Perce! Is scaring your friend to death honestly more important to you than confirming that you are alive?"

"Oh my Gods Annabeth! Fine. I'll go talk to Chiron. But listen!" Percy exclaimed as Annabeth shooed him away, "I _am_ going to go up to her at dinner no matter what you say! No more excuses! You can't just keep my life a secret forever, okay?"

"Yeah. Great. You'll have your fun… now go talk to Chiron!"

"Okay, I'll see you later" he said, turning to leave.

Just when Annabeth thought she had finally convinced him, Percy spun back toward her, hurling himself at the door. He hit the door with such great force that he stumbled backwards, arms flailing. Annabeth shoved him off the porch, in an attempt to hide him from Thalia. He laid sprawling, face down in a puddle of mud for a minute, twitching slightly.

"Wow. You're such an idiot," Annabeth whispered through gritted teeth, with complete lack of concern for his well being, "Prepare to be pummeled…"

Thalia, in reaction to the crash, ran out of the cabin, equipped with her shield, Aegis, and her sword. At first she only saw Annabeth who was glued to the spot in alarm. Then, as Percy stood up, covered head to toe in mud, she lifted an eyebrow in confusion.

"Who the heck is this freak?"

"Hi Thalia!" called a mud-covered Percy.

At first, Thalia just stood there with a blank expression on her face, recognizing a voice that she had thought would never be heard again.

"Percy!" Thalia shrieked dropping her weapons and throwing her arms around him, almost knocking him over, "omygosh! You were DEAD! No pulse! Dead, dead, DEAD! But now…Percy!" Thalia began to cry and never broke the hug. Annabeth and Percy both had confused expressions on their face; they had never expected this. Thalia suddenly became silent, and pulled back to look Percy in the face. Percy couldn't help it, a grin made its way to his face. Thalia's blank expression slowly transformed into one of anger.

"Percy!" Thalia yelled taking her arms off of him and landing them on her hips,

"What kind of _sick_ joke are you playing here!" She threw punches of anger yelling,

"I hate you, I hate you, I hate you!"

Angry tears rolled down her cheeks but she never stopped punching him. Percy began to feel bruises forming, and he caught Thalia's fists mid-punch and said,

"Thalia! Calm. Down."

"Argh! You're telling me to calm down?" Thalia said, ripping her fists from Percy's grip and continuing to hit him relentlessly.

Annabeth began to giggle behind them, taking in their appearance but neither of them noticed. Thalia was now covered in mud also and her face was in an expression halfway between anger and surprise. Percy was smiling at her reaction, even though it was quite painful for him.

Thalia! Calm down!" Percy yelled grabbing her fists once again, looking into her electric blue eyes. Thalia fixed her gaze into the deep, black orbs and suddenly lost her energy to hit him. She looked into his eyes, filled with curiosity as to how he could do that. Annabeth had mentioned to Thalia that Percy's eyes seemed to have a strange ability to control her emotions but Thalia cast the idea aside as a coincidence and wrapped her arms around him.

"You scared me half to death; I thought that I killed you."

"How could you ever think that!"

Thalia pulled back again and lowered her gaze.

"Well, first of all, I let you get beaten up by that Fury-"

"You know that wasn't you're fault!" Percy cut in.

"And…I put that stupid ring on you."

"What ring?" Percy questioned trying to catch her eye.

"Well after you got knocked out, I skewered the fury, and it vaporized. But in its place was this ring…"

Thalia grabbed his hand and stared, but the ring wasn't where she'd last seen it. She spun around to Annabeth, who had stopped laughing, but instead was looking uncomfortably down at her shoes.

"Don't be mad… I took the ring off him. Just as a precaution; in case it did have something to do with what happened." Annabeth said hurriedly.

"Wait when? How did I not notice?" Percy cut in, very confused.

"I think you were in shock from the turn of events… I took it when I kissed you…" Annabeth said quietly, blush creeping into her cheeks.

"Wow!" Thalia yelled sarcastically, "I guess that's what you miss when you're in your cabin for twenty minutes! Geez, you guys!"

"Never mind that! Where did you put it?"Percy said.

"I put it in my cabin along with the rest of my stuff. Is that okay?" Annabeth asked as Thalia turned to face her.

Yeah! Fine! So this isn't a joke? You didn't plan the whole fake death thing?"

"Of course not! What kind of friend would I be if I did that to you?" Annabeth exclaimed.

"Well," Thalia began, "you wouldn't be."

Annabeth smiled at her response, "Why would I want that?"

"Awwww! You're so sweet! Do you forgive me for beating up your_ boyfriend_?"

"Yeah of course! I really didn't mind much." she responded, throwing Percy a smile.

Thalia turned to Percy.

"Do you know what Annabeth needs right now? Hugs from her two favorite people in the world!"

Annabeth scowled as she looked at their bodies which were each splattered with mud. She ran, but Thalia caught up and tackled her.

"Annabeth Jeanette Chase!" Thalia scolded, in a voice that was obviously meant to imitate Annabeth's mom. "It's only proper to hug your friends after you've forgiven each other!"

After Thalia had gotten her to turn around, she attacked Annabeth in a bear hug. Thalia backed off looking quite pleased.

"That wasn't fair! You can't just attack me from behind, and then cover the other side of my body with mud too!"

Annabeth ran back toward the mud puddle and leaned down to pick some up, flinging it at Thalia. It was perfectly aimed, hitting her straight in the face. This was the first move that led to the biggest mud battle to ever take place on Half-blood Hill.

By the time the battle finally ended, twenty of the other campers had joined in. Annabeth, her wavy blond hair dirtied with mud, was one of the last to surrender. Finally, now thoroughly exhausted, she threw her arms above her head in surrender. She got down to the ground and laid there for a second, regaining some energy. Percy walked over to her and reached his hand out to her. She took his hand and allowed him to pull her to her feet.

"Beach?" Percy asked Annabeth as she headed off toward the shore, pulling him along.

"Definitely!" Annabeth replied enthusiastically, breaking into a jog.

When they felt the warm sand beneath their feet, they sprinted into the surf, permitting the waves to liberate their bodies of the evidence of their fight. Thalia soon found them there, having just retired from the excitement.

"Hey! Can I join you? …or would you rather be _alone_?" Thalia grinned and a small laugh escaped her.

Thalia burst into laughter as Annabeth glared at her as fiercely as she possible could.

"May I ask what you find so dang amusing, Thalia dearest?" Annabeth asked, her cheeks turning somewhat red with embarrassment.

"You make it too easy! It's so fun to poke fun at you!"

"Oh, well I guess I'll have to make it harder then…" Annabeth joked.

Now that most of the soil had been removed from their skin, they took their leave from the gentle waves and walked up to the grassy area that lay just past the sand. Annabeth let herself fall onto the soft grass and closed her eyes, clearing her mind of all thought.

"I'm gunna go to dinner… I'll see you guys later!" Thalia called, walking back towards the Pavilion.

"Okay we'll join you in a minute!" Percy yelled after her. He laid down on his stomach next to Annabeth who had opened her eyes and was patting the spot next to her. He brushed her hair behind her ears and lost himself in her beautiful, grey eyes.

"Percy?" Annabeth whispered.

Percy was snapped back to reality by the sound of her voice.

"Yeah?"Percy answered, still staring into her eyes.

"What are you thinking?"she asked in as sweet a voice as she could manage, hoping to get the answer out of him. She had a feeling that he was hiding something.

"I don't know… everything."

"Wow. That's a lot, I don't think that's good for you." she giggled. "Like what exactly?"

Percy sighed and let out all of the thought that he'd been trying to hold since the first day of camp.

"I can't help but feel like an outsider. I've been here for a month now and have no idea as to who I am! It's so frustrating sometimes, knowing that my dad doesn't care enough to claim me."

"The gods do everything for a reason… besides I know _exactly_ who you are! You are Percy Jackson, the most amazing guy I've met and that's enough for me." Annabeth reminded him.

After a moment of thought, Annabeth spoke up. "You're still not telling me something."

Thalia looked at her watch and groaned. Annabeth and Percy still hadn't come to dinner and the food was going to be cleared momentarily. Thalia cleared her dishes and walked out of the pavilion to find Percy and Annabeth. They were still talking to each other when Thalia walked through the trees and into the clearing.

"Geez you guys! How long does it take? You've been here for half an hour. You've almost missed dinner!"

They looked up at the unexpected visitor and Annabeth jumped to her feet.

"Are you serious, Thalia?" Percy sighed, looking extremely annoyed with her presence.

"Yup. I am. And contrary to your beliefs, annoying you is a great use of my time." Thalia smiled at his expression.

Percy, trying to hide his irritation, got up and put his arm around Annabeth leading her toward the pavilion.

"Don't you even begin to think you've won! I'll get you to tell me later." Annabeth muttered under her breath.

A few weeks later, Annabeth woke feeling strangely alert. She sat bolt upright in her bed and stared into the darkness. The alarm clock by her bed read 4:07. Just as she began to wonder why she'd woken so early, the darkness converted into a flurry of colors, giving her the sensation of flying. The colors stopped as quickly as they had started, leaving her sitting in the exact spot where she had been before. Annabeth blinked away the spots on her vision that had been caused by light streaming through the window. She looked over to her night stand once again.

10:00… She stared at the glowing numbers waiting for them to change back to 4:07. But nothing happened. Confused by what she had just experienced, Annabeth threw back the sheets and rose from the bed. She must have fallen asleep again which meant,

"Crap! I'm late…"She glanced around the room, but the cabin was unoccupied. After she had gotten dressed, she walked out the door only to find the other cabins vacant as well. She closed her eyes, willing herself to think of a logical explanation. Capture the flag. She had missed the announcements due to her absence at the beginning of dinner the night before, so wouldn't have known about the game. Annabeth sighed out of relief when her longing for something logical was fulfilled, and made her way to the forest.

On her way, she spotted Travis Stoll walking briskly over to the forest, grabbing some armor on the way.

"Travis!" Annabeth called, "Do we have capture the flag?"

Travis didn't acknowledge she had spoken, only continued toward his destination.

"Travis! I know you can hear me! Don't even think about pulling this prank now… Just answer me!" Annabeth yelled as she ran to catch up with him.

Annabeth set her hand on his shoulder and prepared to hear his famous after-pranking-laughter. But Travis spun on his heel and stared at her… no, through her. His eyes were staring through her face at the scenery behind her.

"Travis, it's not funny! You're being such a jerk! Can't you save this for later?" Annabeth questioned forcefully as she ran away from him toward the forest.

She chanced a look back, and stopped when she saw that he was still rooted to the spot, his face paled to a ghostly white and his jaw dropped. Annabeth could see the shock in his eyes. Sure, he was good at lying, but not _that_ good.

"W-what's the matter? Travis…?"

She found herself walking toward him and she touched his hand with her fingertips in an attempt to get him to respond. He jerked his hand away from her touch and stumbled backwards, still staring at her as if she were invisible. She felt her head to check to make sure that some idiot hadn't put her invisibility cap on her while she was sleeping. It wasn't there. Travis walked slowly toward the forest, keeping his eyes locked on and avoiding the area where Annabeth presently stood. When she couldn't think of an explanation for his behavior, she continued to make her way to the forest, feeling anxious.

She reached the edge of the trees and saw a flash of blue and red, deep in the forest. Annabeth ran toward them, recognizing them as helmets.

She ran across the forest toward the place where Chiron usually stood, watching the game. But on her way she saw Percy, guarding the blue team's goal. There was no one else in sight. To her horror, as she walked in his direction, comforted by his presence, a huge creature grew from the shadows. As it reached out to grab him, Annabeth sprinted to close the distance, grabbing a sword that had been left by another player. She yelled a warning to Percy, but it only seemed to distract him. She jabbed her blade at the monster as she reached out for Percy's hand, but neither reached their objective.

"Percy!" She screamed as her fingertips brushed against his hand and the monster grabbed his arm. She fell to the ground as it melted into the shadows, taking Percy with him. As she descended down, she didn't stop at the solid ground. The falling continued and colors whirled and changed again until she was surrounded by night. When the falling ceased, she was sitting in her bed in a cold sweat.

She eyed her alarm clock once again. 4:15…

Her eyes closed, and she willed her breath to slow down.

Yvette, the sister Annabeth was closest to, ran to her bunk and kneeled down next to her.

"Annabeth? Are you all right? I heard you scream." She stammered, her grey eyes illuminated with moonlight.

"oh… sorry, did I wake the others?"

"Yeah, but they don't mind. I told them I'd go talk to you. So, what's up? Nightmare?"

"Yeah, but its fine. I'll get over it."

"Don't lie to me, Annie!" Yvette uttered as she took in Annabeth's fearful look, her voice surprisingly serious. Although she had not known Annabeth for long, she had already mastered the art of reading her expressions.

"Thanks for your concern Yvie, but really, I'm fine. I just need to sleep it off." Annabeth asserted.

"Annabeth… if you want to talk, I'm always here." Yvette assured, "I'm stubborn too, remember. You'll have to tell me at some point. You can tell me tomorrow, okay?"

Annabeth sat up as Yvette rose from her knees and hugged her sister.

"You're the best, Yvie! Thanks," she voiced.

"No prob! G'night!"

Annabeth rolled her eyes at her sister's abbreviation and watched her small form disappear into the next room of the cabin.

"Wait! Yvie?"

Yvette peered around the door, back at her sister.

"Hmm?" she hummed in response.

"This is going to sound random but… Are we playing capture the flag tomorrow?"

"Of course not! Chiron didn't mention it in the announcements. But I guess _you_ wouldn't know that, would you?" Yvette teased softly, a smile playing on her face as she turned to leave. She found Annabeth's love for Percy quite amusing. She swore to herself in that moment that she would never act so ridiculous if she fell in love.

Exhausted, Annabeth was quickly captivated by sleep, and drifted back into the sweeter, less traumatizing element of her mind's eye.

"Annabeth? Annabeth? For gods' sake, will you get out of bed!"

Annabeth open her eyes, and looked up at Thalia who had picked up an extra pillow, intending to launch it in her direction.

"Thank you!" Thalia scoffed with a rather sarcastic tone.

"No problem, Thal," Annabeth countered just as roughly, sliding out of bed and running her fingers through her tangled hair.

Annabeth glared at her friend and protested her company.

"What do you want? I was sleeping!"

"Yeah, and you were going to keep sleeping right though practice. It's 9:30!"

Annabeth moaned and ran about the room collecting her sword and shield. She changed in 20 seconds flat and tied her long hair up in a messy bun.

"Okay, ready!" she yelled grabbing her stuff as she hopped on one foot, attempting to slip into her other shoe.

They took off toward the fighting arena for their 9:30 swordsmanship class and casually slid into the group, pretending they hadn't been late. Annabeth walked over to Percy and took his hand as they listened to Chiron instruct them. Percy couldn't help but smile at Annabeth's appearance. She had blindly matched a pair of jean shorts with a large T-shirt and her usually naturally perfect hair was thrown up in what Percy thought looked like an awkward pony-tail.

"Well, you look adorably disheveled, Wise Girl. What happened?"

Annabeth glared at him, reaching her hand up to his head to deliberately ruin his already imperfect hair.

"So do you," she mocked, faking innocence, "and I had about thirty seconds to get ready. Now come on and let's practice! We're going to get in trouble; do you want to be stuck doing dishes for a week?" she added, trying to change the subject.

Percy smirked at her, enjoying her attention.

"Are you ready to be pummeled? Again…?"

Percy saw a mischievous grin cross her face and smiled back at her.

"You're on!"

On the mark, Annabeth swung her blade at Percy's sword with all her might, trying to knock it from his grasp.

"I won't give you the victory that easily!"

"Good! I need a challenge every once in a while!"She yelled back as she feinted left, then spun, forcing Percy's slash hit her across the armor protecting her back. When she turned back, he was staring into her eyes, but she refused to return the gaze. They went on seeming perfectly matched for five minutes longer. Both were breathing hard, but not about to give in to the other's pressure.

Finally, Annabeth crossed her sword over his and twisted it out of his hands. As it clattered to the ground, She held her sword up to his neck and smiled at him, clearly proud of her victory.

"Wow Perce! You just got owned!" Connor Stoll shouted from the sidelines where he had been watching the rematch.

Percy was about to leave the arena when Annabeth shouted, "Chiron? Is it okay if I have one more _small_ match with Percy? I want to experiment with something."

"Ummm… sure, I suppose if nobody objects to it," Chiron said, scanning the small group waiting for their turn in the arena.

Percy gave Annabeth a questioning look and began to fight with her, just as aggressively as before. The match started out the same way; they were perfectly harmonized with the same level of skill. Then Annabeth took a deep breath and looked up from his sword into his eyes which by now were cold with tenacity. As their eyes met, a familiar flood of exhaustion consumed her, causing her to drop her guard long enough for Percy to strike the blade from her loose fingers. Percy saw her knees buckle and quickly slid his arm around her waist before she fell.

"Annabeth! Are you okay?"

Annabeth stared at the ground, completely drained. She thought back to her suspicions from the day that she first met Percy. He had come to the cabin to help her, and healed her when nothing else could. Only time had helped her fatigued condition to some extent. Annabeth used the energy she had to look back into his eyes, which were now worried and sympathetic. With his gaze came a sense of relief, as energy rushed back into her body.

Annabeth continued to stare in complete awe of what had just happened. Percy looked just as shocked as Annabeth, as he felt her weight lift from his shoulders. He kept his arm around her for a moment, making sure that she had recovered.

"Annabeth? Are you all right?"

"I'll live. Can I talk to you after we finish at the climbing wall?"

"Yeah, but are you sure you don't want to take a break? You looked like you were about to faint!"

"I'm _fine_. I'm absolutely _positive_ that I'll be okay."

"Promise?"

"Percy. Honestly? Yes I promise!

As soon as Percy finished falling off the climbing wall, Annabeth dragged him from the ground and off to the side saying,

"Percy! Focus, we need to talk."

"What is so important that you needed to interrupt my heroic moment?" Percy countered, obviously irritated.

"Percy, you really don't need my help falling off the wall."

"Can we just get to the point here?"

Annabeth took a deep breath and said,

"Percy, tell me what you're hiding. Now."

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